Choosing a Customer Relationship Manager (CRM)

Staying organized is paramount if you want to run a successful business, especially if you have multiple clients. Investing in a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software program is one way to stay organized while building your client relationships.

In its simplest form, a CRM program is similar to an online address book, or an old fashioned Rolodex that keeps your client’s information all in one place. Basic information such as address, email, phone number, and birthday can be collected when they sign up for your services and as you get to know them better, you can also ask for their family members’ names.

Many CRM programs have spaces for notes and next steps, such as follow-up phone calls or sessions, so at the beginning of each day, your CRM will provide an automated to-do list based on those next steps. If you have tried to keep all these details in your head or logged into your phone calendar, you’ll know that sometimes items get missed or forgotten, which can damage your credibility. Automating the to-do list process saves you time and embarrassment.

Adding a Personal Touch to Your Client Relationships

Building a client relationship also means building a friendship with that person. Yes, YOU are the coach and the one with the expertise but that doesn’t mean you can’t be friendly outside of business. Learn about their business or their life; ask about their family; wish them a Happy Birthday or Happy Anniversary; ask questions about their latest vacation. Any little tidbit of personal information that comes up in your sessions, emails, or other conversations can be noted in your CRM program and added to your to-do list. A simple email with, “Welcome back from vacation! Let’s get your next session booked,” adds a personal touch to your relationship.

Have you ever considered sending birthday cards to your clients? If you gather that information during the client onboarding session, note it in your CRM program. Then, every week or every month, you can do a search for birthdays and send out the cards. Sending eCards is certainly simple but also consider sending handwritten birthday cards with a simple message. That’s one way to stand out from the crowd since everyone’s email is jammed these days.

What Else Can a CRM Program Do?

Very often, CRMs have an email system integrated so you can send individual messages or bulk messages instead of paying for a separate email provider. These email services also allow you to segment your clients based on what packages or products they purchased so you can run dedicated campaigns just to those people touting your latest products.

CRMs also offer ways to track leads, so you can follow up with them on a regular basis or send them emails specific to their needs. This is especially handy since you always want to gather people into your sales funnel, and you don’t want anyone falling through the cracks.

As you can see, CRM programs can handle a variety of tasks that help keep your business organized. One note: there are dozens of CRM programs available, so do your due diligence when researching. Pricing structures vary considerably, but also, in this day and age of high technology, choose a program from an established company that offers support and security updates.